The Trip

British comedic actor Steve Coogan is contracted to dine at fine restaurants in the north of England and write about his experiences. Coogan invites along an erstwhile colleague, Rob Brydon, with whom he shares a bit of a combative relationship. Off they go on this scenic tour, improvising slightly exaggerated versions of themselves, riffing off each other with celebrity impersonations and well-aimed insults, all the while eating spectacularly. Underlying the caustic humour and haute cuisine is anxiety about men entering middle-age and a growing warmth between the travellers, though Coogan would never acknowledge any of that. Very funny stuff, essential for fans of a certain brand of awkward, self-deprecating British wit. –Carsten Knox